Custom 2004 Dodge Ram 4x4 - Nokturnal Transition

Tony Reynaga's tow truck turned show-winner

By Galen Armenta, Photography by Kevin Aguilar

Sport Truck, September 01, 2007

Customizing a Dodge Ram dualie isn't the world's easiest task to accomplish. There just aren't a lot of aftermarket accessories for Rams, beyond performance-related items. And with their ability to pull or carry just about anything thrown at them, they usually end up in the role of tow pig. Tony "Scooby" Reynaga of Bakersfield, California, bought his 5.9L Cummins diesel Dodge Ram just for that purpose. The plan was to tow his pavement-munching Tahoe from show to show and use it during the week as a means to carry all of his welding gear to and from work. That lasted for a while, but the problem he faced, as many of us know, was that it was a stock Ram. Coming from a background of daily-driving a custom vehicle, the thought of driving a stock Ram got a beat down, and Tony had himself a new project.

"I only bought it to tow my show truck to long-distance show." -Tony Reynaga

Since much of the idea behind purchasing the Ram was because of its pulling power, Tony didn't ignore the 5.9L Cummins motor. An air intake in the form of a K&N Fuel-Injection Performance Kit, along with an 8-inch custom-made exhaust from a semi, was installed. That not only gives the Dodge a mean sound, but it helps out with a little extra pony production. To give the truck a higher stance and more of an aggressive look, a 6-inch Pro Comp lift kit was installed onto the '04 Dodge. A set of 22.5-inch Alcoa wheels mated to 255/75R22.5 Pirelli tires completes the mean posture of this heavy hauler, as well as enhancing its towing capabilities.

To trick out the Ram body, Scooby hooked up with Trends Custom Painting in Bakersfield, California, who addressed the cosmetic requirements. One of the subtlest changes you will find on the Ram is the rear suicide doors and the door handles flipped to the opposite side of the door. The hard part was adapting the '06 Dodge SRT10 front end to Scooby's Dodge. Nothing matched up, so the trial-and-error method was employed, until the front end was securely fasten. When the body massaging was complete, the truck was rolled across the shop to Dick and Grengs, who then covered the Dodge sheetmetal with a custom mix of different Alsa Blues called Scooby Blue, followed by flames from front to back using a darker blue from Alsa Paint.

To say this Ram is sick and crazy would be an understatement, and the major modification that contributes to it being so wild is the extensive amount of work that has been done to the interior. Let's just say Scooby went buck wild! Like the exterior, Richard of Noise was asked to work his magic inside the cab. The goal was to smooth out all of the interior surfaces, primarily the entire dash, console, and door panels, which once smoothed were then covered with either shiny blue paint like the rest of the truck or in blue or gray suede. Of course, there were heavy modifications made to the center console and door panels, many of which can be found on the door panels that now sport bolstered and molded speaker and TV pods, housing the midrange MA Audio speakers and RCA monitors.

Further interior investigation reveals more suede wrapped around the seats and custom headrests that have been stuffed with two 17-inch monitors for rear passenger viewing pleasure. For people sitting in the front seats, they have more options: They can either watch the 7-inch Alpine DVD player, or if for some reason they should have to turn around, they can watch one of the two 7-inch monitors placed into the front of the headrests. To throw some sound into the mix is an array of MA Audio equipment-and a lot of it. Nestled between the front and rear seats in the fiberglassed center console are three 12-inch MA Audio subs. Combined with five sets of MA Audio 6-inch components, the cab rocks more like a club dance floor than a means of transportation. Concealed under the smooth paint-matched tonneau cover sits one of the most elaborate audio and video setups you will find this side of anywhere. You will find the nearly 6-1/2-foot bed filled with more suede, more paint, stuffed with more MA Audio speakers, subs, and amplifiers, along with a 32-inch plasma monitor.

Scooby has successfully created yet another stunning show-quality pickup with looks and style that is going to be tough to match. He is quick to mention that the Dodge could not have been completed without the help of Trends Custom Painting, Ryno Mfg., American Force Wheels, DPS in Bakersfield, Performance Offroad, Alsa Corp., Edge, Pacific Tires, Kinetik Audio, MA Audio, and his club Nokturnal. For the special thanks, Scooby would like to send it out to one very special lady, Kristi, for all the late nights and the 28 straight hours spent finishing the truck to get it to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This truck stands to be one of the finest custom examples of Dodge's late-model Ram we have seen to date.